With its long history, Shanghai is one of the largest cities in China and is now often considered to be the representative of modern Chinese cities. For foreign travelers, Shanghai is usually their first or last stop into China. Like other major cities in China, Shanghai is a restricted motorcycle city. However, there are many destinations around Shanghai that are suitable for motorcycle tours.
Can foreigners rent a motorbike in Shanghai?
Foreigners can rent motorcycles in Shanghai. However, international driver’s licenses cannot be used in China and you need to apply for a temporary Chinese motorcycle license (Class E or D license).
What services does Road Pioneer provide?
We offer packages for foreign riders, including temporary Chinese motorcycle licenses and motorcycle rentals in Shanghai. We are probably the first organization to offer such packages for foreign tourists. We can also customize guided and self-guided motorcycle tours from Shanghai for you and your friends.
Do I need an International Driving Permit to rent a motorcycle in Shanghai?
No, International Driving Permit (IDP) is not recognized in China, you need to apply for a temporary Chinese motorcycle license through us.
What drivers licence category do I need to rent a motorcycle in Shanghai?
You must have a large-displacement motorcycle license from your home country and have at least 1 year of driving experience.
What kind of motorcycles can I rent in Shanghai?
QJ Motor, CF Moto, Hawker Suzuki motorcycles, Kove, Kawasaki motorcycles, BMW motorcycles, Benelli, Escalade, Yamaha, Ducati and many more are available for rent in Shanghai. Please contact us if you want to rent enduro, dual-sport or adventure motorbike, urban, street or sport bike, road, cruiser or touring motorcycles in Shanghai.
What’s the environment like for motorcycle riding in Shanghai? Is it motorcycle friendly?
Like other big cities in China, Shanghai is not friendly to motorcycle riding. In Shanghai, the motorcycle license plate according to the color is divided into yellow and blue, displacement below 50cc hang blue, higher than 50cc hang yellow; according to the different letters can be divided into Shanghai A and Shanghai C, which Shanghai A yellow license can enter the Shanghai city riding, Shanghai C yellow license can not enter the outer ring, can only be ridden in the suburbs of Shanghai – this means that the Shanghai A yellow license plate applies to large-displacement motorcycles that enter the city. The foreign license plate, which cannot enter the administrative boundary of Shanghai, means that both the urban and suburban areas of Shanghai are off-limits.
From January 1, 2008, Shanghai no longer registers (licenses) motorcycles. Currently, there are only 10,900 Shanghai A yellow license plates in stock, and scarcity is a major reason for the rising price of Shanghai A yellow license plates.
What are the Motorcycle Traffic Restrictions in Shanghai Urban Areas?
Too complicated to explain. It is not recommended that motorcycles with non-shanghai license plates enter the Shanghai administrative area.
What are major Motorcycle Destinations near Shanghai?
- Huangshan: It takes 4 hours to take the Hangzhou-Huizhou Expressway. Many people have been to Huangshan Mountain. Let me remind you that the snow scenery in Huangshan Mountain is also beautiful in winter!
- Yandang Mountain: It takes 6 hours to walk across the sea bridge. Yandang Mountain does not require much climbing, so it is especially suitable for parent-child tours for the elderly and children. Yandang Mountain is evergreen, so it’s best to go during the off-season in February and March, when there are fewer people and cheaper prices.
- Shenxianju: Take the Jiashao Bridge for a 5-hour drive. Shenxianju has two gates, the north and the south. When you enter the north gate, there are waterfalls. It’s so cool when the water is heavy on rainy days! Among the places I have visited, the waterfall in Shenxianju is the most enjoyable. The south gate is Wanshan. The scenery is magnificent and has the flavor of Huashan. A place worth visiting twice is pretty good. To the south of Shenxianju is Gongyu Village, one of the outdoor holy places. It is one of the last villages in Zhejiang that has no access to roads. It has a 12-kilometer mountain road that cannot be accessed by car and must be hiked. There is also a scenic spot called Jingxingyan nearby, which is a large rock 6 or 7 hundred meters high. It’s very funny. You can go up by elevator! It’s a shemale show!
- Jiuhua Mountain: Take the Shensu-Zhejiang-Anhui Expressway to get there in 5 hours. Jiuhuashan Town is halfway up the mountain, and it’s quite fun to drive on this mountain road. Jiuhua Mountain is particularly suitable for mountain climbing. It takes half a day to reach the top of the mountain. The scenery on the mountain is very beautiful. It’s up to you to see the temples in Jiuhua Mountain or not. There is a large Taiping Lake Reservoir between Jiuhua Mountain and Huangshan Mountain. You can play there. In the evening, you can go fishing in the lake with the villagers.
- Daming Mountain: At the junction of Zhejiang and Anhui, take the Hangzhou-Huizhou Expressway to get there in 3 hours. Compared with other famous mountains, Daming Mountain is particularly cost-effective. It has waterfalls, plank roads, thousands of acres of fields, and ten thousand meters of mines, which are very unique. Moreover, Daming Mountain can be climbed up and down in one day, and it is not far from Shanghai. The cost is not expensive, so it can be the first choice for weekend self-driving tours.
- Huangmaojian: In Longquan County, Zhejiang, the road is a little farther, 6 or 7 hours’ drive. Huangmaojian is the highest peak in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. It is more than 1,900 meters, which is higher than Huangshan. The mountain climbing starts from more than 1,300 meters, and the intensity is not very high. The canyon boardwalk is very beautiful. Huangmaojian – Baishanzu is one of the top ten classic hiking routes in Zhejiang. To go to Huangmaojian, you have to pass by Jinshuitan Reservoir in Lishui. The fish in the reservoir are the most delicious fish I have ever eaten, even better than the fish in Qiandao Lake and Tianmu Lake.
- Xiandu: In Jinyun County, 4 hours’ drive. The first choice location for filming martial arts movies. In March when the peach blossoms are in bloom and the trees are just green, it’s so beautiful! Imagine what Peach Blossom Island looks like in The Condor Shooting? It should be like Xiandu. When I went there, I happened to catch up with CCTV filming “The Swordsman”, and the heroine was beautiful.
- Nanxi River: On the western slope of Yandang Mountain, a 6-hour drive. Nanxi River is a holy land for hikers. The water is beautiful and as green as emerald, a bit like Jiuzhaigou. The mountain road from Nanxi River to Yandang Mountain is also very enjoyable.
- Xianhua Mountain: In Pujiang County, it is mainly close, 3 hours drive. The hills have good views and there are many reservoirs, which are good places for fishing.
- Anji: 4 hours drive. Tianhuangping Hydropower Station, Hidden Dragon Hundred Waterfalls, the small scenery is still good. It’s great to ride on the mountain road! Anji’s farm food is so delicious! Potato cakes, creek fish, and dried bamboo shoots are still in my memory. Longwang Mountain, which is further away, is more than 1,500 meters high and is also a good place for hikers.
- Jinhua Shuanglong Cave: Jinhua is a good place, with mountains and water, but not too crowded. Shanghai can be reached in the past 4 hours. Jinhua Beishan and Shuanglong Cave are both worth visiting. I went to Jinhua City to eat bone casserole in the evening and my mouth watered!
- Kuocang Mountain: In Linhai, Taizhou, you can take the two Hangzhou Bay Bridges, which takes 5 hours by car. The main peak is more than 1,300 meters tall. It is the highest peak in eastern Zhejiang. You can reach the top by car. There is no scenery in Kuocang, but the top of the mountain is a wind farm with dozens of huge wind turbines standing in the sea of clouds. You can imagine how spectacular it is!
- Zhoushan: There is no scenery in Shenjiamen and Zhujiajian. When going to Zhoushan, the main thing is to walk on the Zhoushan Bridge. Zhoushan is actually not close to Shanghai, it takes 4 hours by car. Moreover, seafood is extremely expensive, and killing people is bloody. It doesn’t matter whether you go to Putuo Mountain or not. The Bodhisattva who asks for tickets is not a real Bodhisattva.
- Tonglu, Luci Village, Guanyinjian: The essence of Fuchun River is in Tonglu, “Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains”! However, there are a lot of floating objects caught in the dam and the water is dirty. Luci Village is located on a tributary of the Fuchun River, with milky blue water. It is known as “a fairyland in paintings, Luci in the world”. The Guanyinjian next to it is the highest peak in the Longmen Mountains, more than 1,200 meters high, and there are many leeches on the mountain!
- Xuedou Mountain, Xikou: In Fenghua, Ningbo, 3 hours drive. It’s just a word expensive, it’s a small hilltop, and the entrance fee is more than 200 yuan for China and Pakistan! The places to eat in the surrounding areas are more expensive, and the places to kill pigs should only be visited when your brain is wet. Ningbo locals say they don’t climb Xuedou Mountain, but the nearby Golden Ear Mountain which is free of charge.
- Changzhou Tianmu Lake and Dinosaur Park: In Liyang, Changzhou, there is a big park. Tianmu Lake fish head, more than 100 yuan each. Changzhou’s Dinosaur Park, the largest theme park in East China, is a place where you can take your children to play.
- Suzhou Xishan and Tianping Mountain: It is very suitable for family travel by the elderly and children, eating farm food and staying in star-rated hotels. It is a place for lazy people who don’t like hardship. The Taihu Sanbai from Xishan Farmhouse is very delicious. I like Tianping Mountain very much and have climbed it several times. It is exactly twice as high as Sheshan Mountain. If you only have the physical strength to climb Sheshan Mountain, you might as well climb Tianping Mountain.
- Changxing, the hometown of ancient ginkgo: It’s in Changxing County, Zhejiang Province, not Changxing Island in Shanghai. 2.5 hours drive. A 12-kilometer mountain road, from Xiaopu Town to Baijia Village, is in good condition and is our company’s base for cycling and roller skating. There are thousand-year-old ginkgo trees on both sides of the road. Spring and autumn are beautiful!
- Nantong Langshan: Nantong is mainly close and can be reached in 2 hours. Langshan is also a place where people are killed. It is known as one of the four famous Buddhist mountains. It is only as high as Sheshan. There is really no place to go, so I went to Nantong. The river seafood in Nantong is good, and the puffer fish is quite delicious.
- Lu Si: Lu Si has no scenery, just eats seafood. The seafood in Lusi is probably the cheapest around Shanghai, even cheaper than Tongchuan Road (Tongchuan Road seafood is considered the cheapest in the country, and Zhoushan seafood is much more expensive than Tongchuan Road). Lu Si’s clams are so delicious. When the tide goes out, you can take your children to the beach in Lusi to collect clams and have fun all day long. The road is not far, it took us 2 hours to drive.
More than 6 hours’ drive, and further away:
- Bai Shuiyang: Pingnan County, Fujian is a bit far away. The Fujian section of the Ningshang Expressway is not open to traffic, so we can only take the provincial highway, which takes more than 10 hours to get there. There is a huge stone measuring tens of thousands of square meters in the valley. Water flows over it, turning it into a water square. It is not enough for a child to have a water fight for a day. It is indeed a match made in heaven, one of a kind.
- Wuyi Mountain: It takes about 7.5 hours to take the Hangzhou-Xinjing Expressway, Quzhou, and Shangrao. The Jiangxi section of the Ningxia-Shanghai Expressway has been opened, but the Fujian section is still under construction. The admission fee for Wuyi Mountain is too disgusting, 335 yuan per person. The scenery is not bad, but I feel it is not much better than the mountains and rivers of Zhejiang. On the contrary, the nearby East China No. 1 drifting is very enjoyable.
- Sanqing Mountain: It takes about 6.5 hours to take the Hangzhou-Xinjing Expressway, Quzhou, and Yushan. Sanqing Mountain is the sister mountain of Huangshan Mountain, with similar scenery but much fewer people.
- Longhu Mountain: In Yingtan, Jiangxi, it takes about 7 or 8 hours to arrive. Longhu Mountain is very similar to Wuyi Mountain, both have Danxia landforms, and you can enjoy bamboo rafting. If you ask me, I would rather go to Longhu Mountain than Wuyi Mountain. At least Longhu Mountain is not as ruthless as Wuyi Mountain.
- Tianzhu Mountain: In Qianshan, Anhui, it takes about 6 or 7 hours to arrive. The ancient Nanyue was Tianzhu Mountain, not Hengshan Mountain in Hunan. Tianzhu Mountain has two lines, east and west. Most tourists go to Tianzhu Peak on the west line. Roads are being built on the east line. In fact, the east line is also worth visiting, especially the line of sky, which is stronger than the Thousand-foot Building in Huashan Mountain!
- Taimu Mountain: In Fuding, Fujian, it takes 7 or 8 hours by car. Taimu Mountain is mainly about the joy of drilling holes, all kinds of caves, and all kinds of skyscrapers. I am afraid that there will never be so many such wonderful holes in the world. For example, a mountain several hundred meters high opens a gap several hundred meters long. People have to turn sideways to cross it. If they are a little fatter, they will get stuck. It is really stuck! Enjoyable, enjoyable!
What do I need to provide to get a your Package Service for Motorcycle Rental in Shanghai?
- Valid Passport
- Valid Chinese visa
- Valid motorcycle license from your home country
- Chinese translation of motorcycle driver’s license (usually requires translation and stamping by a qualified translation company, we will help you with the translation)
- Proof of registration at the local police station (we will assist you with this, some areas require it)
- Physical examination (required in some areas, items usually include height, eyesight, color blindness, hearing, trunk, neck and limbs and other physical examination. No need to be on empty stomach or draw blood, please wear glasses if you are nearsighted).
- Learning 1-3 hours of Chinese traffic regulations and precautions (required in some areas)
- At least one year of heavy motorcycle riding experience (required for our guided motorcycle tours)
What are the normal prices for motorcycle rental in Shanghai?
Here are some examples for your information
QJ MOTOR SRK 600, CNY 200 per day
Benelli TRK 502 X, CNY 250 per day
Kove 525 X, CNY 200 per day
BMW F 750 GS, CNY 600 per day
BMW F 850 GS ADV, CNY 800 per day
BMW R 1250 GS ADV, CNY 900 per day
The price will fluctuate depending on the season and rental period.
How old do I have to be to rent a motorbike in Shanghai?
You must be at least 18 years old and need to have at least one year of motorcycle experience.
Other Policies for Renting Motorcycles in Shanghai?
A deposit of 3,000-8,000 RMB is required and the rental bikes are not allowed to leave the country.
